Pakistan Unveils Saudi-Linked Port and Shipping Projects to Boost Regional Connectivity

Pakistan is preparing to launch a series of Saudi-linked port and shipping projects aimed at transforming the country into a logistics hub connecting the Gulf, Central Asia and China, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced on Friday.

Officials said Pakistan’s position on the Arabian Sea gives it a unique advantage in bridging Gulf energy exporters with China’s fast-growing economy and the landlocked states of Central Asia. With trade volumes between the Gulf and China rising steadily, Islamabad is seeking to position its ports as pivotal gateways in emerging regional transport corridors.

Technical Adviser for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Jawad Akhtar outlined several proposed projects in collaboration with Saudi Arabia. These include new “Karachi–KSA and Gwadar–KSA Gateway Terminals,” direct shipping lines from Karachi to Jeddah and Gwadar to Dammam, expansion of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation fleet under Saudi partnership, and the development of 20 green ship recycling yards at Gaddani.

Pakistan’s largest ports — Karachi Port and Port Qasim, which handle the bulk of the country’s cargo — along with Gwadar Port, a deep-sea facility developed with Chinese support, are expected to play a central role in the initiative.

Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the strategy forms part of a broader national roadmap to integrate Pakistan’s ports with rail, road and air networks, creating seamless connections with regional markets.

“We are not merely compiling lists of projects; we are shaping a national roadmap for logistics and connectivity,” Chaudhry said. “Pakistan performs best under compressed timelines, and this is one such moment.”

Chaudhry emphasized the importance of the long-delayed ML-1 railway modernization — a multi-billion-dollar upgrade of Pakistan’s main line from Karachi to Peshawar — which is expected to significantly boost freight and passenger flows from northern regions to southern ports.

A joint working group comprising the maritime, communications, railways and defense ministries will convene next week to identify priority projects for rapid development and financing.

The communications ministry has also proposed laying fiber optic cables along railway lines, expanding submarine cable networks, and expediting completion of the M-6 motorway, a 394-kilometer section linking Karachi with Sukkur. Officials described the M-6 as a “missing link” in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship infrastructure program of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Plans for extending the M-10 motorway through the Khirthar mountains were also highlighted.

Meanwhile, the petroleum ministry confirmed that a $300 million feasibility study is underway for a new merchant oil terminal at Hub, near Karachi, as part of Pakistan State Oil’s infrastructure expansion.

Chaudhry urged ministries to finalize an investment-ready roadmap that can attract global financing and establish Pakistan as a central logistics bridge linking the Gulf, Central Asia and China.